Wolfgang Puck: Stone fruits of summer make an easy dessert

August 21, 2014

By Wolfgang Puck

Wolfgang Puck’s Kitchen

The fruit varieties that fill farmers market stalls right now are some of late summer’s greatest pleasures. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, and plums — and their many hybrid cousins — have refreshingly juicy flesh and some of the sweetest, most aromatic flavors of the fruit world.

Cooking juicy stone fruit, so named for the rock-hard pits at their centers, extends the range of their pleasures. Just think of all the pies, cobblers, crumbles, shortcakes, ice creams, sorbets and other desserts you can make. And that’s not to mention the fresh fruit salads or even spicy-sweet salsas spiked with onion, chilies, and fresh herbs.

Grilling is one of my favorite ways to prepare summer fruits: quickly cooking them over an open fire at the end of an outdoor meal. The only advance preparation they require is cutting them into halves along their natural seams, removing the pits (making freestone varieties of peaches the smartest choice for that particular fruit), and brushing them with a little butter that not only helps prevent sticking but also adds an extra touch of richness.

Be sure to brush the cooking grid clean before placing the fruit on it, to remove any residue of a savory main course you may have cooked. Then, just a few minutes of grilling deliciously caramelizes some of the fruits’ sugars and also softens them slightly, releasing their juices.

In the recipe I share here, I prepare a sorbet ahead of time made with fresh raspberries and white grape juice, to serve alongside the fruit. If you want to save time, however, the grilled fruit also would be delicious with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream or another flavor you might prefer.

At least several hours in advance, make the sorbet. In a small saucepan, place the grape juice and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until it reduces to 1 cup, 7 to 10 minutes. Make a simple syrup by combining the water and sugar in another saucepan and boiling until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has become syrupy. Do not let it turn color. Stir together the syrup and grape juice and chill in the refrigerator until cold or by setting the bowl in another bowl filled with ice cubes.

In a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade, puree the raspberries. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a mixing bowl and pass the puree through to remove the seeds, pressing down with a rubber spatula to force all the puree through and scraping any puree from the underside of the sieve into the bowl. Stir in the chilled grape juice mixture.

If you have an ice cream or sorbet maker, transfer the sorbet mixture to the machine and freeze, following manufacturer’s instructions. Pack the sorbet into a freezer container with a lid and freeze until solid.

Alternatively, make a granita by transferring the mixture to a shallow baking dish or bowl, covering it with plastic wrap, and freezing until the mixture begins to set, about 25 minutes. Using a clean fork, scrape the granita to break up the ice crystals, mixing well. Cover, return to the freezer, and repeat every 20 minutes, pushing the ice crystals from the outside of the pan toward the center, until the mixture is completely frozen but not solid.

About 15 minutes before serving time, remove the container of sorbet or the granita from the freezer. Leave at room temperature to soften slightly for scooping.

Preheat an outdoor or indoor grill or the broiler. Brush the fruit halves all over with the melted butter and cook them on the grill or under the broiler until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Use an ice cream scoop or a large serving spoon to scoop the sorbet or granita onto the centers of individual serving plates or bowls. Arrange the fruit around the sorbet or granita, garnish with mint sprigs, and serve immediately.

From and tested by Wolfgang Puck. Nutrition information not available.